


𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 ⭒ 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐭

by Valerie (elodiefair)



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), mcyt
Genre: Adventure, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Exiled TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), F/M, Fanfiction, L'Manberg | L'Manburg on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Recovery, mcyt - Freeform, whytfamiwritingthis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-26 14:48:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30107634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elodiefair/pseuds/Valerie
Summary: ⭒ 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥.𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬, 𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘶𝘮𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘦, 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥. 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. ⭒
Kudos: 3





	1. ────

**Author's Note:**

> 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥 ⭒ 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐭

╭──────────────────╮  
𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒  
────────────  
𝘌𝘹𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦  
𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴, 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯  
𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺, 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦,  
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘱.  
────────────  
.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。  
╰──────────────────╯

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

╭──────────────────╮  
𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒  
────────────  
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢, 𝘗𝘛𝘚𝘋,  
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘳  
𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.  
𝘛𝘞𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧  
𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵  
𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦.  
────────────  
.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。  
╰──────────────────╯

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

**𝗜𝗙 𝗔𝗡𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗜𝗦  
𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗥 𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗔𝗟,  
𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗠𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗚𝗟𝗔𝗗𝗟𝗬 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗜𝗧 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡**

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。


	2. 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐋

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐋; 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

⭒ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄; 𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐄 **-  
** ────────────────────────── **  
**

Tears clouded Tommy's vision as he kneeled in the dirt, feeling as if the world had just collapsed from beneath him. His hands shook as he sucked in a choking breath, furiously wiping at his puffy red eyes with a sniffle. He didn't want to cry. There wasn't any reason to cry. _He_ didn't need to see him _cry._

Dream stood only a few metres in front of him with that stupid mask on his face, the painted sadistic smile gleaming menacingly in his direction. Leaning casually against the trunk of a tree, he had his hands nestled in his hoodie pockets and a shimmering netherite axe strapped at his waist. From behind his mask, he wore a satisfied smirk-the kind of smirk that would've sent shivers down Tommy's spine if he had been able to see it.

He cleared his throat after a brief moment of silence, removing his hands to adjust the ceramic plate strapped to his bitch ass face.

"Alright. Tommy, give me your things."

Tommy's gaze snapped up to meet his, his mouth contorting into a hard frown. He quickly got to his feet, dusting off the front of his trousers before crossing his arms over his chest.

"No, I have all of _my_ things-"

"Here's my seeds, my gunpowder, my eggs!"

Before the boy could finish his sentence, the cheerful ghost had begun to empty his pockets in front of their captor. Ghostbur wasn't much one to pick up on social cues, and this was one of those situations. Tommy had to grit his teeth to keep himself from reaching out and strangling him.

"Ghostbur-Ghostbur don't give him all your things-"

"All my flowers! Here's my iron shovel."

"No! They're all my things, I'm not going to give you all my things!" Tommy protested.

"Here's my twenty-nine trapdoors. Here are my sea lanterns and my fishing rod-"

Dream gestured for Tommy to begin dumping his things on the ground, swiftly scooping up the shovel Ghostbur had dropped. The teen glared sourly at the taller man.

"-and here's my picture of Alex Quackity. That's all, Dream!"

Ghostbur floated over to where Tommy was standing, a bright smile lighting up his otherwise transparent face. He nudged the boy with his shoulder toward the pile on the ground, still oblivious to Dream's intentions. The masked man grinned.

"Drop them down."

"Or what?" Tommy challenged.

Dream moved his hand to rest comfortably on the handle of his axe, running his thumb across the embroidered material. With his other hand, he adjusted his ceramic mask once more.

"Or I will kill you."

The trio fell silent. Tommy fidgeted with the fabric of his shirt, looking down at the grass beneath him. He wasn't afraid of death, _no._ Big men weren't afraid of death. It was when he thought about what came _after_ death did he feel a familiar ache in his chest begin to grow. They were each granted three lives here, and Tommy hadn't used up a single one-Dream could easily change that with a few swings of his axe. Judging by how Ghostbur has been faring, Tommy didn't want to know what it was like to become a ghost anytime soon.

"Fully kill me?" He asked quietly, keeping his gaze glued to the ground. Dream chuckled softly.

"Yes."

"Well I-" Tommy cut himself off, taking in a sharp breath, "I don't care."

Dream stayed silent, the only sound shared between them being the rhythmic slicing of the iron shovel digging into the earth. Tommy reached a hand to wipe at his teary eyes, a soft sniffle following after. The masked man felt a wave of pity wash over him as he stared down at the teen in front of him; every one he had ever trusted had betrayed him, leaving him exiled here for god knows how long. Yet just as fast as this feeling clouded his thoughts, he was quick to stubbornly push them back down and plaster an unnerving grin across his chapped lips.

Without a single warning, Dream swiftly drew his axe from its holster and shot it toward Tommy. The boy let out a strangled yell, jumping aside as the netherite blade sunk itself deep into the bark of the tree behind him.

Letting out a breath of relief, he shakily began to remove his armour and throw it onto the grass in front of him.

"It's okay-it's okay-it's okay. I definitely-pain still hits different."

With his armour gone and his pockets emptied, Tommy felt more vulnerable than ever. It reminded him of when he was first exiled from L'Manburg with Wilbur, back when Schlatt had been elected president. The familiar feeling of fear and hopelessness began to sink in, just like it had when they inhabited Pogtopia way back when.

It felt like forever ago.

Dream shuffled forward to rifle through his belongings, mumbling to himself as he did so. Ghostbur still stood off by Tommy's side, a bright smile tugging at his lips whenever he felt the teen's eyes flicker toward him. Although he wasn't exactly sure what was going on, deep down he knew that it wasn't good. If it got Tommy this worked up, it couldn't be something to be happy about. Yet Ghostbur wanted the boy to feel safe here in this foreign place, so he put on a positive face in an attempt to lighten his mood. He wouldn't leave him. _He wouldn't leave him._

Dream backed away from the pile, looking toward Tommy. His hand reached to rest on where his axe should've been, but stopped halfway through when he remembered where it was. Instead, he opted to cross his arms over his chest.

"Is that all of them?"

Tommy sighed defeatedly. "Yeah."

Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Dream started to dig through the bag strapped at his side. Tommy gave the ghost beside him a confused look, to which he of course was offered a reassuring smile. There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, where the only sounds were the shuffling of items coming from the masked man.

Tommy's face fell when he pulled out a stack of TNT.

Dream placed the blocks down with a smug grin, taking one glance his way before slipping a weathered-down chunk of flint and steel from the inside of his sleeve. Without so much as a word of caution, he struck the two together and jumped far back.

"You might wanna move if you don't wanna die."

Ghostbur tugged him behind a tree trunk, holding tightly onto his hands as the fuse ignited. Tommy squeezed his eyes shut as they listened to the spark travelled it's way up into the barrel of gunpowder, flashes of battles flickering over his vision. His head became light when the bomb finally went off, the blast so loud that his ears rang for minutes afterwards. The air was filled with the choking stench of gunpowder and burning grass, only further causing the flashes to become more intense and lifelike. His breathing became ragged, his hands starting to slip from their place in Ghostbur's.

"Tommy?"

His eyes flew open to find himself tucked rigid against a towering oak, Ghostbur's worried eyes staring into his own. Tommy heaved a shallow breath as he tried to regain his composure. He could feel his heart thundering in his chest.

Tommy staggered from his hiding place, staring down at the crater the TNT had left behind. A pit formed in his stomach when he realized that everything was gone. Without thinking, he knelt and began to dig into the charred dirt with his hands.

"Surely some of it-"

The cold blade of an axe cut his sentence short.

Dream smiled at the boy's frozen state, holding the axe firmly against his neck as he stood before him. His eyes glittered from behind the cold ceramic, briefly glancing up to catch sight of Ghostbur. He watched the former president shoot Tommy a look of sympathy, hugging his arms close to his body as he floated toward them. The boy's shoulders shook with fear while the axe was pinned to his skin. Ghostbur sunk to the ground next to him with a comforting smile, soothingly placing his hands on his arms. Tommy relaxed, closing his eyes in acceptance.

Dream's grip on the weapon loosened. He hesitated. Then he pulled away.

"Here...you can have this."

He dropped a slab of meat at his feet, turning away from the duo with a shake of his head. The axe in his hand was placed back in its holster.

Tommy glared at Dream through glossy eyes. "I don't want your fucking pity steak; fuck you."

"No no no-"

"Fuck you, leave. Fuck you."

"Just take it."

"No."

"You need it. You need it, okay?" Dream whirled around, his hands balled at his sides, "I'll give it to you-and, look, I guess you can have this too. I don't need it anymore."

A stack of obsidian blocks fell in front of Tommy. His heart ached with the memories of those goddamn walls, of his _home_. He didn't think he'd be able to look at obsidian the same way again. Not after all that had happened. He kicked the blocks away with a glare.

"I don't want your pity fucking things!"

A deeprooted frown embedded itself onto Dream's lips. He shrugged his shoulders after a short silence, sending one last look to Tommy before taking a few steps in the opposite direction.

"Alright, well. Uh, I'll see you never."

With that, he disappeared into the forest surrounding them, leaving Tommy and Ghostbur on their own. The teenage boy sat unmovingly, staring at the last spot he had stood. With a worried glance, the ghost cheerfully nudged his shoulder.

"Y-Yeah, this is going to be fun! We're going to have a good time"

_But even he knew that this was a lie._

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 _  
_


	3. 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "𝐌𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦."

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

╭──────────────────╮  
𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆:  
────────────  
𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯  
𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳; 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.  
────────────  
❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。  
╰──────────────────╯

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

⭒ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄; 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐒  
──────────────────────────

Tommy jolted upright in his makeshift bed, his hands gripping the sheets in tight fistfuls. His breathing was shallow and uneven, sweat sticking sweetly to his skin. The teen could feel his heart hammering in his chest, the dose of fear squeezing his throat only wrapping tighter as he tried to break himself from its spell. 

Another nightmare had violently pulled him from his much-needed slumber; it was the fifth one this week, starting the night Dream had left him and Ghostbur exiled in the forest. Tommy didn't know how much more of this he could handle. 

His hands shook as he gasped for air. Tears swam in his eyes, blurring his vision as he tried to ease his rampant mind. _He was okay, it was okay. He was safe. Ghostbur didn't leave him. He wasn't alone. Everything was going to be fine._

Tommy pinched at the fabric of his shirt, a wavering sob forcing its way between his lips. _He was okay, it was okay. He was safe. Ghostbur didn't leave him. He didn't leave him. He wasn't alone. He wasn't alone. He wasn't alone. He wasn't-_

"Tommy? A-Are you okay?"

A comforting hand on his shoulder snapped the boy out of his trance. Blue eyes flew up to meet worried brown ones. His bottom lip wavered for a moment before he was pulled into a tight embrace. _He wasn't alone. Ghostbur didn't leave him._

"It's alright, I'm here. Let it all out." The ghost whispered, cradling the shaking teen close. 

He ran a soothing hand through his tangled blonde locks, muttering consoling little nothings. Hiccups and sniffles were the only response. He hugged him tighter.

Ghostbur felt terrible for Tommy, guilt swimming in his chest and fluttering through his veins. He was hurting, so much more than he was letting on. The ghost knew that the nightmares were bad, that they had been plaguing his mind and ruining his dreams. He didn't know the extent of it until now. He didn't realize how much of a toll this had taken on Tommy. _He didn't know about Tommy's problem._

Lost in his thoughts, Ghostbur hadn't realized that the teen had calmed himself down--save for the occasional whimper--and had now focused his attention on something else. 

His eyes were glossy, dull of emotion and empty of tears, as he watched the morning sun slip up from the horizon. Rays of crimson flooded the cramped tent they had found themselves inhabiting, for the time being, casting a rosy glow across his tearstained features. Tommy felt his lips twitch into a tired smile. His eyelids drooped. 

Before he knew it, he had slipped back into a deep sleep, filled with dreams of rolling wheat fields and sprawling obsidian walls. He dreamt of bubbly laughter and late-night talks, a van by the river and loud celebrations. Glowing orange lanterns that swayed in the warm summer air, blooming flower crowns tied through his hair. 

His thoughts shifted from toxic voices spitting venomous words of hate to quiet humming and gentle lulls of a honey-hinted breeze. He let a small, almost breakable smile turn at his lips. His arms opened up to the world, his eyes closed as he soaked in the warmth and love he had begun to crave. Taking one bold leap, he welcomed all the happiness, the freedom, the peace, the family that was ripped away from him.

_Then he woke up._

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

Tommy laid alone in his bed now, thin sheets tucked smooth around his still body. He stared up at the tarp-covered ceiling, watching with devoid interest as it flapped in the breeze.

Exhaustion was the first thing he felt, even after just waking, his hair dampen with sweat and skin cool to the touch. Ghostbur could be heard just outside the tent, humming lightly to himself as he presumably tended to their belongings, neatly organizing them into their respective chests and tidying up the site they had set up camp. Tommy found himself feeling trapped inside the cramped space they lived. He needed to get out. 

The air was cooler than he anticipated when he exited through the thin cloth door, goosebumps prickling at his freckled skin. His back ached from being in the same position for so long, popping loudly with every feeble step he took. Ghostbur briefly glanced up from his spot beside their chests of materials, a warm smile fluttering across his pale lips.

"Good afternoon, Tommy. Did you have a good sleep?"

The teen grunted in response, plopping down in front of the smouldering ashes of their fire from last night. He traced his fingertips over the blackened stones that encircled the smokey logs, spelling out his name before rubbing it away. Ghostbur floated over to sit beside him.

"You had quite the nightmare last night."

"Way to state the obvious." Tommy gritted his teeth, pushing his knees up to his chest. Ghostbur rolled his eyes.

"I'm worried about you Tommy. You aren't getting enough sleep at night, you're constantly floating off into your own world-"

Tommy turned his head away from him, hugging his knees closer to his body. The ghost jutted a finger his way.

"-and you keep doing _that_. I care about you, you're like a brother to me. I hate seeing you go through this."

He stayed silent, opting to trace the outline of the trees with his gaze rather than listen to the ghost beside him talk about his problems. _Ghostbur won't leave him. He isn't going to leave._

A hand gently rested itself on his shoulder. "I'm here to help you, no matter what. I'm not going to leave you."

_Ghostbur won't leave him. He isn't going to leave. He's not alone._

"You said we would have a good time." His voice wavered just above a whisper.

"Tommy-"

"You said that it was going to be fun, that we would have a good time, a-and it would be like we were on vacation. You said that everything would be fine and it's not. It's not fine Ghostbur! Nothing about this is fine!"

Silence fell between the duo. Neither one spoke, too afraid that they'd say something that they'd regret. 

Tommy, overwhelmed by the tension, quietly rose to his feet. His hands curled into the skin of his forearms, crossing across his shuddering chest. Without a backwards glance, he crossed the clearing and slipped past the trees. 

Ghostbur watched with careful eyes, knowing exactly where the boy was headed. A sigh escaped his lips as he too stood from his place, running a hand through his tangled curls. Guilt flooded his chest for what felt like the hundredth time since he joined Tommy. The teen needed time to cope. He pushed him too soon.

The ghost decided to leave him be until he was willing to talk.

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。


	4. 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

╭──────────────────╮  
𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆:  
────────────  
𝘗𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯  
𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳; 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.  
────────────  
❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。  
╰──────────────────╯

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

⭒ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎; 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐄  
──────────────────────────

Tommy stared down at the rushing water, stiffly swinging his legs over the edge of the river bank. His clothes were soaked, dripping beads of cool water down his arms and into the soft grass surrounding him, hands tangled in the slender blades. A mess of tangled blonde curls sat atop his head, while his shoes were discarded at his side. 

Crystal clear waves splashed up onto the bank, scaring away the sparkling fish that swam about their usual routines. A jittery chuckle rippled from Tommy's throat as he leaned forward to watch their fluid movements. His baby blue eyes were a watery red.

His thoughts were coiled tight around his outburst, the words he shouted repeating over and over on the tip of his tongue. Tommy's chest was heavy with guilt, a feeling he had become familiar with over the past few months. Shallow breaths, find a distraction. His gaze locked itself onto the buzzing bees across the river.

_"Come watch the bees with me, Tommy!"_

Tommy shook his head, reverting his eyes down to his balled fists. His grip tightened. Tears clouded his vision, his bottom lip trembling. 

_"Don't cry, Tommy...I'll always be here for you."_

He pulled his knees close to his chest. A quiet sob wracked his body, hands loosening themselves from the grass to clasp themselves over his flushing face. He missed Tubbo. He missed his normal life. _He wasn't okay, it wasn't okay. Tubbo left him. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone._

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。 _  
_

The melody of a flute yanked him from his panicked daze, catching the boy's attention almost instantly. His gaze was pulled toward the direction of the sound, the upbeat song travelling closer to him by the second. He sat frozen on the bank.

The flute's song grew louder, now accompanied by the sound of quiet laughter and soft chatter. Tommy let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, shakily moving to wipe the tears that were cascading down his cheeks. Tree branches rustled as the noise swelled. Two figures darted between the shafts of golden sunlight.

Abruptly, the melody came to a halt. Rustling sounded from the bushes nearby. Tommy clutched the hem of his shirt.

Two horns and a smiling face popped into view, their owner being that of some sort of goat-boy. His brown eyes sparkled with wonder as he crashed through the brush, fern green sweater and patched khaki shorts standing out against the lush greenery surrounding them. Silver bells tied with red string hung from his curved ram horns, jingling at every moment he made.

His cheeks were flushed pink from laughing, his overall upbeat mood contagious. He slowed when he locked eyes with Tommy, his smile never fading. 

He waved giddily in his direction, bell chimes quickly following after.

"Why'd you stop, Todapop?"

Tommy looked behind the goat-boy--Todapop, as the figure called him--to catch the gaze of someone very familiar.

She passed the wooden flute in her arms to Todapop, adjusting the strap to her leather bag to sit on one shoulder. Much like her counterpart, she wore a green top, short-sleeved and better fit for the warming temperatures that they had found themselves in. Her shorts were held at her waist by a skinny brown belt, the same shade as the chunky boots that she wore on her feet. A silver locket hung around her neck, partially hiding the light coloured scar that ran across her collarbone. 

A grin broke out across her lips, fading slightly when she noticed the hesitant look in his eyes. Tommy slowly rose to his feet, quietly clearing his throat. He crossed his arms over his chest, remaining mute. She offered him a reassuring look.

"Hello, Tommy..." 

Her voice was soft as she spoke, washing away the teen's fears of conflict. Her grey eyes sparkled with happiness as she stepped toward him, stopping just a few feet away. It was his turn to speak.

His gaze found itself lowered to the ground, hands squeezing at the skin of his arms. Tommy's chest still stuttered with the remnants of a sob, his words quiet and raspy. He could still feel the guilt weighing him down.

"It's been a bit Birdie. I'm glad to see that you're alright."

Wren-or more commonly known as Birdie-was a former citizen of L'manberg, prior to its downfall. He could vividly remember the girl as quiet and reserved, rarely ever leaving the country and only seen around her quaint little house near the towering obsidian walls. She and Tommy were barely acquaintances back then, and he had pushed her existence to the back of his mind up until now. 

Birdie was one of the lucky ones. She left before the wars started.

"Seems like I'm doing better than you." Birdie chuckled wryly. 

She briefly turned back, motioning for the young faun to come near the duo. He smiled cheerfully, trotting up next to the teen. Birdie emitted a soft grunt when he shouldered his weight against her leg, flashing Tommy an excited grin.

"Hello! I'm Todapop, but you can just call me Toda."

"I die a little on the inside every time you try to nickname yourself."

A chuckle bubbled up from Tommy's chest. Todapop shot Birdie a glare, the little bells on his horns jingling furiously. He wrapped his hands around her arm, pulling it down to his height.

"I didn't ask for your opinion, _Birdie._ "

"You're lucky I don't punt you across this river, _Toda_."

The two stared each other down for a moment before erupting in a fit of laughter, much to Tommy's surprise. Birdie wrapped her arms around the young faun, swaying him back and forth with a bright smile on her face. 

Tommy's heart ached at the sight, a bittersweet upturn at the corner of his lips. _Tubbo left him. He was alone. He was alone. He was alone. He wa-_

"Are you alright, Tommy? You've gone all quiet on us."

Birdie rested a comforting hand on his shoulder, worry filling her eyes. Tommy blinked back the tears that had begun to form for what felt like the thousandth time that day, slowly nodding. He hugged his arms tighter around his body, feeling his quickened heartbeat thunder in his chest. The girl before him offered forward her hand.

"Let's go back to camp and rest a bit. I'm sure you're hungry."

Tommy looked down at her hand wearily. Birdie had never hurt him before. She didn't look like the type to hurt anyone.

So with one last glance toward the river, he laced his fingers through hers and allowed the girl to pull him along the mottled dirt path.

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

**Author's Note:**

> 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠!


End file.
